Ear for trolley wires



Jan. 23,1923.

G. W. BOWER. EAR FOR TROLLEY WIRES- FILED MAY 27. 1921.

Inventor: George W. Bower,

Patented Jan. 23, 1923.

UNITED STATES rice.

GEORGE W. BOWER, 0F SGHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

EAR FOB, TROLLEY WIRES.

Application filed May 27, 1921. Serial No. 1.73.,069.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. Bowen, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ears for Trolley Wires, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to electric railways, and more especially to means for supporting the trolley wire.

Trolley wires are customarily insulated and supported from overhead structures such as mine roofs, brackets, or span wires by means of insulating hangers which engage ears attached to the upper side of the trolley wire either by solder or by mechanical clamping action.

My invention has for its object to provide a mechanical clamping ear which may be applied to and detached from the trolley wire with facility without the use of special tools, which will securely and permanently maintain its connection therewith, and which may be manufactured at low cost.

One embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an ear shown cbnneoted to a section of trolley wire; Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 1 is a longitudinal horizontal section of said ear.

The ear shown in the drawing comprises four parts, namely, two clamping members 1 and 2, a swivelled fulcrum nut 3 and a wedging key 4;. I j

The clamping members 1 and 2 are made of metal castings with shouldered gripping jaws 5 at their lower edges for engaging with a grooved trolley wire 6 and with semicircular lips 7 at their upper edges for engagement with a circular flange 8 on the lower end of the swiveled fulcrum nut 3. The clamping member 1 has at its ends two inturned lugs 9 and the clamping member 2 has two inturned lugs 10 so spaced as to freely enter between the lugs 9, the side wall of member 1 having cored openings 11 therein to provide clearance opposite the lugs 10 of the other member. All four lugs are provided with cylindrical apertures 12 which are adapted to align when the key 4: is driven home therein.

The key is formed with two tandem wedge or cone-shaped portions 13 joining at one end with reduced cylindrical portions 1 1 and at the other end with enlarged cylindrical portions 15 of approximately the same diameter as the lug apertures 12. These enlarged portions 15 are threaded or grooved at 16 to provide friction surfaces wherebv the key held from working out of its home pos1t1on under the vibrations incident to the passing of the trolley. The spacing of the tandem wedge portions 13 is made the same as the spacing of the lugs 10.

When installing my ear the swivelled not 3 may be turned home on the threaded end of the usual hanger bolt 17. The clamping members, held loosely assembled by the key with its reduced portions 1 1 resting in the lugs 10, are placed in position on the wire and their upper edges then brought into engagement with the flange 8 of the nut and the key 1 is then driven home, thereby binding and locking the nut against turning loose and causing the jaws" 5 to firmly grip the trolley wire 6. To disconnect the ear from the trolley wire the key 1 may be readily displaced by a hammer blow upon the tip thereof.

It will be observed that the key may be inserted in either direction, and that it is positioned above and parallel to the trolley wire and in consequence of which the transverse dimensions of the ear are at a minimum and the side faces thereof free from any projecting parts that might interfere with the passing of the trolley wheel.

While I have shown and described the best embodiment of the invention known to me, I do not desire to be restricted thereto.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A clamping ear comprising a fulcrum member, two clamping members having provision at their upper edges for engaging said fulcrum member and wire gripping jaws at their lower edges, apertured lugs on the ad j acent sides of said clamping members, and a wedging key in said apertured lugs.

2. A clamping ear comprising a swivelled fulcrum member, two clamping members having loose connection with said fulcrum member at their upper edges and wire gripping jaws at their lower edges, and a wedging key disposed longitudinally between said clamping members and operating when moved endwise to draw them together.

3. A clamping ear comprising two clamping members lulcrumed at their upper edges and provided with wire gripping jaws at their lower edges, a pair of apcrtured lugs on the inner side of each of said clamping members, and a key having conical wedging portions adapted to be forced endwise into the apertures of said lugs.

a. A clamping ear comprising two clamp ing members fulcrumed at their upper edges and provided with wire gripping jaws at their lower edges, apertured lugs on the in ner sides of said clamping members, and a wedging key provided with a friction surface and movable longitudinally through said apertured lugs.

5. A clamping ear comprising two clamping members fulcrumed at their upper edges and provided with wire gripping jaws at their lower edges, apertured lugs on the inner sides of said clamping members, and a longitudinally movable key in said aper' tured lugs and provided with conical and roughened cylindrical portions.

6. A clamping earcomprising two clamping members fulcrumed at their upper edges and provided with wire engaging jaws at their lower edges, pairs of spaced apertured lugs 011 the inner sides of said clamping members, and a wedging key in said apertured lugs provided with pairs of enlarged and reduced cylindrical portions joined by conical portions.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of May, 1921.

GEORGE W. BOWER. 

